A new immigration plan unveiled by Democrats would require all Americans to obtain national identification cards.

Democrats say their top priority is to secure the border. Their plan creates a path to citizenship for more than 10 million immigrants.

Within the legislation is a requirement that every worker in the U.S. carry an ID card filled with biometric information.

"The cardholders' identity will be verified by matching the biometric identifier store within the micro-processing chip on the card to the identifier provided by the cardholder that shall be read by the scanner used by the employer," according to the legislation.

Opponents say the cards are a threat to privacy and individual freedoms.

"Creating a biometric national ID will not only be astronomically expensive, it will usher government into the very center of our lives." said Christopher Calabrese of the American Civil Liberties Union. "Every worker in America will need a government permission slip in order to work."

The proposal would also crack down on employers who hire undocumented workers and -- among other things -- calls for more border patrol officers, increased prosecution of drug smuggling and unauthorized border crossing and more equipment to track illegal immigrants.